Scranton, Pa., throws an ‘Office’ party

Scranton, Pa., throws
an ‘Office’ party

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As Michael Scott, the clueless boss on NBC’s “The Office,” would say, “ain’t no party like a Scranton party.” With that in mind, the city where the Emmy-winning cubicle comedy is set is hosting a weekend blowout for thousands of fans. The inaugural “Office Convention” promises to be as quirky as the show itself, with highlights including an Office Olympics (Dunderball, anyone?), a character lookalike contest, appearances by cast and crew and performances by the Scrantones, the band that recorded the show’s theme music. It starts Friday with the “Today” show’s Al Roker broadcasting live from the University of Scranton and wraps up Sunday. About 2,000 tickets ranging from $25 to $250 have been sold so far — 70 percent of them to out-of-town fans. A remake of the acclaimed British series of the same name, “The Office” is shot in mock-documentary style, following the exploits of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and his sad-sack underlings at the fictional Dunder-Mifflin paper-supply company. In its fourth season on NBC, “The Office” boasts a devoted following. Fans have been making pilgrimages to Scranton, a city about 100 miles north of Philadelphia, to check out real-life landmarks referenced on the show, from Poor Richard’s pub and Farley’s restaurant to Lake Wallenpaupack and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour. Fourteen cast members, along with the show’s writers and executive producer, are scheduled to appear this weekend. None of the actors who play the main characters — Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer — have signed on.

Today’s birthdays

Singer Helen Reddy is 66. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 63. Rock musician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 60. Actress Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”) is 50. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 49. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 45. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 37. Country singer Chely Wright is 37. Actor Mehcad Brooks (“Desperate Housewives”) is 27. Actor Ben Gould is 27. Singer Ciara is 22.